


Butterflies

by reidingrainbow



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reidingrainbow/pseuds/reidingrainbow
Summary: Karl looks to him once more, “You’re gonna protect me, right? And I’ll protect you.”Sapnap nods, “Of course. It’ll be dangerous though.”“I trust you,” Karl sighs, runs the tips of his fingers down Sapnap’s chest. Sapnap shudders at the action. “I trust you with everything I have.”
Relationships: Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Comments: 189
Kudos: 546





	1. Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this book is very vaguely inspired by one of my favorite fanfictions of all time, 5555 by weepies. i hope you enjoy <3

Sapnap rushes out of the house, slams the door behind him. He’s pissed.

Yeah, Dream is better at fighting than him, better at crafting and gathering resources and adventuring overall, but that doesn’t mean he should constantly brag about it. His ego is fucking huge, and Sapnap hates it. He hates it so much.

When Dream said that he was going to go kill the ender dragon, Sapnap instantly jumped up, ready to help. He likes to be a part of Dream’s journeys, he’s his best friend, plus it gets him experience. He’d probably follow the blond anywhere, to the ends of this Earth if he asked. He’s loyal to a fault.

But Dream turns him down, shakes his head. He claims that it will be _too dangerous_ for Sapnap and that it would be easier for him to go on his own. And even though Dream might have had good intentions in his statements, and he’s sure the other meant no harm, that doesn’t stop Sapnap from seeing red. Words, harsh ones are exchanged, ones where Sapnap calls Dream a “fucking prick” and proclaims that his ego is “bigger than Sapnap’s dick”. Dream retaliates, calls him selfish and blind to his own shortcomings, and the yelling ends with George trying to break them apart and Sapnap screaming that he’s going to kill the dragon himself.

So, he packs his bag in haste, grabbing extra clothing and his basic tools. He fastens his shield on his back, swings his bag over the other shoulder. His armor is worn from their constant training, but he straps it on anyway. The door behind him swings open, but he doesn’t bother to turn around.

“Sap, please. Think about this,” George’s voice rings out. Sapnap rolls his eyes, turns around. George is hugging himself tightly. “You can't do it alone. You know that, right? None of us could-”

“But you don’t believe that, right?” Sapnap seethes. “You think Dream could do it.”

“I never said that.”

Sapnap laughs dryly, “You didn’t have to.”

He pushes past George, shoulder checks him as he walks out the door. George follows, whines from the back of his throat as he grabs Sapnap’s forearm, “Sapnap.”

Sapnap looks him in the eye, “What?”

George sighs, bites his lip, “You’re not gonna stop, are you?”

_Of course, he’s not._ He has something to prove. “I can’t stop now.”

George lets go of his arm, lets out a shaky breath, “O-Okay. Do you have enough food? Do you have gapples, your good sword, and-”

“Yes, mom,” Sapnap laughs softly. He feels bad for snapping at his friend. He’ll make it up to him, eventually. “I’ve got it all.”

George leans forward, gives him a hug. He almost knocks the wind out of Sapnap’s lungs with the intensity of it. George whispers into Sapnap’s iron armor, “Please promise me you’ll be safe. Promise me you’ll come back alive.”

Sapnap rubs his back softly, “I promise. Take care of yourself, and Dream too.”

George pulls away. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a compass attached to string. He gets up on his toes, weaves it over Sapnap’s head and around his neck. It settles in the middle of his chest. He touches it, brushes it with the tips of his fingers. George looks up to him,” Come home.”

-

The journey starts off rough.

He’s in a tundra, which is the least helpful biome ever for him. He needs a lava pool on the surface, and gravel to get some flint, and he needs it fast. He spends his first two days trekking through the harsh cold. His shoes get wet and his pants are dirty, and he hides in the trees at night to avoid the hostile monsters that lurk beneath him. By the time he’s out of the snow and into the warmth of a plain, he’s almost out of food and his pickaxe is close to broken.

He stops for a bit, kills some pigs in the fields with his stone sword. He makes a small fire and cooks it, eats a piece to give himself more energy. He’s tired, smelly, but above all else, he’s lonely. Very, very lonely.

Maybe he should've stayed home, he’s realizing now. Dream was made for a life of solitude, him being quiet and introspective, never going out of his way to converse with others unless it’s George, and Sapnap is not. He’s loud, overly affectionate at all the wrong times, and he thrives off human contact. This life of solitude, paired with a life of adventure, is not made for him. He’s realizing that, but it’s too late.

He can't turn back now. He’d hear the classic line from Dream then, the one about how he told him he couldn’t do it and how he should never have gone. He can't face him now, not without the battle scars to prove that he did what he set out to do. He’s gonna kill that dragon if it’s the last thing he ever does.

He gets about two hours of sleep. He rests on the floor of a dark, dank cave. His back hurts, but he carries on, picks himself off the ground. As he exits the cave, a butterfly lands on the shield in his hand. It’s purple wings gleam in the sunlight. It stays for a moment, before flying away in the wind, so quickly that Sapnap thinks he imagined it.

There’s a forest straight north of him, and he decides to get more wood, just in case. He wanders through trees until he finds a smaller one, and then he pulls out his axe. He starts to swing, works the muscles in his arms tenfold. It’s going well, he’s about halfway through the thick trunk when the hairs on the back of his neck rise eerily.

He turns, swiftly, but there’s nothing there. He turns back, shakes his head. He’s hallucinating, or something, probably from his exhaustion. He picks up his axe again, ready to strike when it hits him again. It explodes all down his arms, goosebumps rise on his skin. The wind blows past him, fluffs up his hair. It smells like vanilla, like warm candles and freshly cut grass.

He turns again, and this time, he sees something behind one of the trees. Fear drowns him. He grips his axe tighter as he slowly creeps toward the tree. He’s ready to fight and he takes a deep breathe when a figure emerges, hands up in surrender.

Sapnap holds his axe out, “Who are you? Stay back!”

The boy has wide, blue eyes that pop against his fair skin. He takes a step back, hands still up. He doesn’t look very intimidating, but Sapnap won't take any chances. He speaks, squeals out, “I didn’t mean to startle you!”

“Answer my question,” Sapnap says, still holding his weapon.

“I’m Karl,” he responds.

“Where did you come from?” Sapnap asks him. “Why were you following me?”

Karl tilts his head slightly. His hands fiddle with the edge of his shirt. His eyes wander. “I, uhm, I’m not sure. You looked interesting, I guess. I wanted to see what you were doing.”

“Chopping wood?” Sapnap can’t help but laugh a bit. He drops his axe, wipes his forehead with his sleeve. The poor guy seems so...innocent. “That’s interesting to you?”

Karl nods, “Yep.”

“Hmm,” Sapnap hums. He sets down his bag and pulls out a bottle of water. It’s lukewarm as he tilts his head back and takes a long gulp, but it feels so good down his throat. A little drips past his lips to his chin. Karl stares. He pulls the bottle away, holds it out to the other, “Want any?”

“You’re willing to share?” Karl asks, looking down at Sapnap where he kneels in the dirt. Sapnap nods. “You...You just met me.”

“You’re not very threatening,” Sapnap shrugs. “Do you want some or not?”

Karl bites his lip, seemingly contemplates for a moment before taking the bottle. He takes a small, slow sip. Sapnap watches him carefully, licks his lips a bit. Karl, as he now knows him as, is pretty, he will admit. He appeared out of thin air, but now the thickness around them is evident.

Karl hands the bottle back. Their fingers brush lightly, “Thank you.”

Sapnap smiles, “You should probably get home, now. It’s gonna get dark in an hour or so.”

“I...” Karl averts his eyes, frowns. Sapnap immediately hates the face, the small lines that appear around the other’s lips. “I don’t really know where my home is.”

“Are you lost?” He gets a no in response. Sapnap is confused, “You can't remember? Did you hit your head?”

“No, I...I don’t...” Karl stutters. His hands shake slightly, and Sapnap resists the urge to grab them, to stop that earthquake from its path of destruction. He grounds himself as the boy continues, “I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” Sapnap says with a comforting smile. “It’s okay. Do you... Do you maybe wanna come with me?”

Karl looks up, their eyes meeting sharply, “Wh-What? Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Sapnap shrugs. He asked for purely selfish reasons, but Karl doesn’t need to know that. “I mean, I’m doing something dangerous, but if you want to come-”

“Yes,” Karl cuts him off. “Yes, I’ll come with you.”

Sapnap grins, “Great. You go get some food, and I’ll finish getting some wood.”

They get to work.

-

They find a village to stay at for the night, which is great for Sapnap. He needs to sleep in an actual bed.

Karl is... unique. He’s learned a lot about the boy in the past few hours they’ve shared. He doesn’t like killing animals, and instead ventured off to find mushrooms to make soup, and he giggles constantly. It’s a noise that Sapnap really enjoys surprisingly, especially because he likes the way Karl’s nose scrunches up cutely and his eyes cringle in pure happiness. It’s a sight Sapnap hasn’t seen in a while, and he’s glad he has company now. It makes the journey a lot easier.

A villager leads them to an empty house, opens the door for them. He smiles, “Take care of it, sir. I hope you have a good night.”

“We will,” Sapnap smiles. The man gives him a strange look, but he brushes it off. “Have a good night. Cmon, Karl.”

Karl steps inside after him and closes the door. Sapnap sets his stuff down, their stuff down, and throws himself back on the bed. He closes his eyes for a moment, “This is nice.”

Karl giggles, sits next to him, “It is.”

Sapnap opens his eyes slightly. He looks up at Karl, who looks like an angel in the low torchlight. His eyes are a clear blue, so much that they look silver. His cheeks are rosy, his hair flows perfectly to his eyebrows. He’s beautiful.

He also realizes that he’s staring and turns his head, covers his face with an arm. _God, what is he doing?_ He just met the guy, for heaven's sake, and he’s already acting like he’s met his soulmate. He’s too easy, too attached already. Just because he’s met Aphrodite in the flesh, doesn’t mean he has to worship on his knees automatically. He needs to get a grip.

“Sapnap,” Karl says. It’s soft, almost a whisper in the emptiness. Sapnap looks at him again, takes a deep breath. “I just...wanted to thank you for letting me come with you. I’m not the best at fighting or anything for that matter, but... I appreciate it.”

“O-Of course,” Sapnap manages to get out. Snap out of it. “I appreciate you... I mean-”

_Why did he say that?_ He internally shoots himself. Karl’s cheeks go red, and Sapnap is sure he looks the same, “You do?”

“Uhm,” Sapnap sits up. Their thighs are so close, almost touching. “I... Yes, I do. I like having someone with me, ya know? It can get lonely out here.”

Karl nods in understanding and smiles. His smile is everything. “I get that. I’m...I’m glad I’m with you too.”

Sapnap stands and strips off his armor, trying to forget about that conversation. His words fly faster than his brain can comprehend, and he ends up embarrassing himself every time. Today is no different, he guesses. It’s Karls fault.

He hears Karl yawn, and he tries his best to hold back a coo. It’s soft, semi-sweet, and even though he’s not facing the boy, he can just imagine his cute little face scrunching up with fatigue.

He sounds like an idiot. He knows.

Sapnap turns around, and that’s when he realizes. There’s only one bed. His eyes widen. He clears his throat, “Uhm, Karl?”

Karl looks up from where he was fiddling with his fingers, “Yeah?”

“There’s only one bed.”

Karl’s eyebrows furrow, “I know that.”

“Karl,” Sapnap repeats, slower this time. “There's only one bed.”

Karl stares at him for a moment before realization crosses over his face, “O-Oh.”

“Yeah,” Sapnap rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “I know we just met and stuff, so I can sleep on the floor if you’d like?”

“I... I don’t mind,” Is the other’s response. His cheeks are bright.

“What?” Sapnap shakes his head. “There’s no way I’m letting you sleep on the floor.”

“That's not...” Karl rubs his arm; His opposite hand grips the bedsheet in his fist. Sapnap averts his eyes. “I meant that I don’t mind sharing with you if you don’t.”

Sapnap chokes for a moment before finally finding the ability to speak again. Karl stares at him expectantly, waiting for an answer, so he says, his voice an octave higher than normal, “Y-Yeah, sure. Yes, that’s...Yeah, okay.”

Karl giggles again. Sapnap wants to drown in the sound. The boy pats the bed next to him and Sapnap sits obediently. He watches as Karl takes his shoes off and places them at the foot of the bed, so Sapnap does the same. They’re a mirror.

“How do you...” Karl breaks the silence. He looks down at the bed, then back up at Sapnap.

“Uhm,” Sapnap looks around for a moment before saying fuck it, and lays down. He beckons for Karl to follow and the boy does. Their head shares a pillow, and they face each other. From this angle, Sapnap can see the gold that swims around the blue irises, and the light freckles that grace his cheeks. He wondered why the villager didn’t give them two beds, but now he really doesn’t care. This is everything, absolutely everything. He puts a hand on Karl’s hip, grazes the skin that is revealed when he inhales, “Is this okay?”

Karl scoots closer, puts a hand on his chest, right next to the compass, “More than.”

“Go to sleep,” Sapnap says, smiling. He rubs circles into his skin, delicate patterns on the softness. “We’ve got long days ahead of us.”

Karl looks to him once more, “You’re gonna protect me, right? And I’ll protect you.”

Sapnap nods, “Of course. It’ll be dangerous though.”

“I trust you,” Karl sighs, runs the tips of his fingers down Sapnap’s chest. Sapnap shudders at the action. “I trust you with everything I have.”

Sapnap pulls him closer, “Goodnight, Karl.”

“Goodnight, Sapnap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @jilchamp  
> tumblr: @jiliwastaken


	2. Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy :)

He wakes up to the sound of screaming.

He tries to sit up, but Karl’s head is on his chest, weighing him down. He’s curled inward and he looks adorable, but Sapnap doesn’t have time to dwell on that. Another scream rings out. They have to go.

He shakes Karl, “Karl, get up.”

Karl whines softly and Sapnap shakes him again, “I’m sorry. I know you’re tired, but we need to get out of this village.”

He looks out the window. It’s still quite dark. Karl sits up, rubs his eyes. His hair is sticking up in a million ways. Sapnap thinks it's endearing. “What's...What's going on?”

“Zombie siege,” Sapnap explains as he hops out of bed. He straps his armor on, hands Karl his helmet. “This whole place is about to be taken over. Put that on.”

Karl slips it on his head as Sapnap grabs their bag and his shield. He gets his axe out, and then he looks at Karl, who is a little pale. “You remember what I said last night?”

Karl nods, “Yes. I trust you.”

“Good,” Sapnap says. He grabs the door handle. “Stay behind me.”

It’s instant chaos. He grabs Karl by the arm and drags him around the side of the house. Of course, they're in the middle of the village, surrounded by houses and hay bales and no visible way to escape. More screams echo into the night, and Sapnap wishes he could help, but there are far too many zombies for him to fight alone.

Zombies come at them left and right, and Sapnap holds Karl’s hand as he cuts them down. His axe is covered in green ooze. Karl stays close to him as they bob and weave, and he’s thankful for that. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the iron golem throwing monsters off, protecting its village. Sapnap admires that, even though deep down he knows this place is a goner.

“Watch out!” Karl yells. Sapnap turns his head; a tree, on fire, falls directly in front of them. Karl pulls him backward, out of harm's way, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sapnap says, taking a moment to catch his breath. “Are you?”

“Yes,” Karl nods. He points to the left. “There’s a desert that way.”

Sapnap looks over, but he doesn’t see anything. Growls grow closer and closer to them.“Are you sure?”

Karl grabs his hand again, “Trust me?”

Sapnap squeezes. They run.

-

There is, in fact, a desert, and by the time they make it over to the sand, the sun is rising on the horizon. He looks back to see the village up in flames, and his heart drops.

“It’s gone,” he says sadly. He wishes he could've done more for them. He knows Dream would've stayed, would've fought valiantly. He feels like a failure.

Karl is still holding his hand, and he feels the boy intertwine their fingers tighter, “You couldn’t have done anything to save them, you know. You’re only one man.”

Sapnap turns his head to the other. How does he always know what to say? He shakes his head, “I know, it’s just... I have higher expectations for myself. I want to help people.”

“And you will,” Karl smiles at him. “That’s what this quest is all about, right?”

_I could kiss you right now_ , Sapnap thinks, stops himself from blurting out. _I could kiss you so hard that I lose track of time._

They venture on. It’s extremely hot in the desert, and Sapnap ends up taking off his armor and putting it away. They didn’t have time to collect new resources, amid their getaway, so they’re almost out of water, which is not a good situation to be in. On the plus side, Karl isn't a complainer and takes it all in stride, and they already have a flint from the plains biome, which makes Sapnap’s job way easier.

Soon, they stumble upon a lava pool, and Sapnap begins to slowly build a portal. Karl sits on the side and eats an apple as he watches, his legs swinging over the ledge of the bubbling substance. Sapnap gives him the occasional smile, and he always gets one in return. He stops to push his bangs out of the way and a butterfly flies past his face. He thinks it’s the same one from before, but he brushes it off.

When the nether portal is done, he beckons Karl over. “This is gonna be a little tricky.”

“Why?” Karl asks, eyes wide. He’s so pretty, Sapnap wants to cry.

“B-Because, we can't sleep there and there’s no water. The nether is surrounded by lava, too,” Sapnap explains. “We have to be extra careful.”

“Have you been before?”

Sapnap nods, “Yeah, one time with-”

He cuts himself off. He doesn't know why, but he can't bring himself to say Dream’s name out loud. He’s still working to prove the boy wrong, and maybe he doesn’t want to taint anything. Or maybe, he misses his best friend and saying his name would bring that feeling forward.

“Are you okay?” Karl asks, rocking on his heels.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sapnap says, shaking the thought. “You’ll follow me in?”

Karl smiles, “I’d follow you anywhere.”

Sapnap steps through.

-

Of course, they spawn in the worst nether possible. Sapnap has the worst of luck.

They end up in a basalt delta, with its jagged rocks and uneven terrain. It takes a lot of parkour, a lot of upper body strength, and Sapnap knows Karl isn't extremely skilled in either of those departments. He’s exhausted, and he knows the other is too, but he never complains. Sapnap grabs Karl’s hands, helps him over every rough edge, catches him when he makes long jumps. They trek through it until they finally find a crimson forest, where they can relax for a bit.

He sits up against a tree, and Karl sits next to him. He hands the boy the bottle, but he refuses, “You need it more.”

“Are you sure?” Sapnap asks. They both need the water, and he can conserve it if he needs to.

Karl nods, “Drink. I’ll be alright.”

Sapnap shrugs, takes a small sip. Instantly, his throat feels so much better, his mouth no longer on fire. He knows Karl is watching, and he revels in it.

He puts the bottle away after, to ease some of his temptations. Most of the temptation, however, sits to his right, knees pressed to chest and head laying on arms. Even in a place so ghastly as this, Karl looks angelic. Sapnap wants to soak him up, drink him in, wants to feel him run down his body, and soothe his every worry. Karl could be, he is, an infinite water source, and every hour they share, Sapnap steers further and further away from grace as desire courses through his veins.

“What made you want to do this?” Karl questions, looks at him from where his head is in his hands. Some of his hair is in his face, and Sapnap reaches forward, brushes it away. The other smiles.

“My friend, he uhm, he didn’t think I could,” Sapnap replies. He rubs his hands on his pant legs, brushing off the dirt that layers them. “I like a challenge. I like proving people wrong. I can do this.”

Karl reaches forward, touches the compass that has not left his neck, “Do you miss him?”

Sapnap gulps, “Of course.”

Karl leans in more, studying the compass, “And this leads you home? To him?”

Sapnap looks down at him. They're so close, “Y-Yes.”

Karl looks up. His eyes shine, push through the darkness. “We better get you back, then.”

“We will,” Sapnap breathes out. “and you can come with. You can move in with me and we can start a farm.”

“A farm?” Karl raises his eyebrows with a giggle.

“Yeah,” Sapnap grins. “A huge farm with wheat and pumpkins and carrots.”

“Wheat and pumpkins and carrots,” Karl repeats. “You have a big imagination.”

“It's not my imagination. We could do it.”

“You think so?” Karl asks. Sapnap’s eyes flicker to his lips, just for a moment, before returning to his eyes.

“I know so,” He responds. A ghast cries out in the distance, and they both jump back. Sapnap takes a breath. Stay calm, stay calm. He stands and holds out his hand, “C’mon, let's keep moving.”

Karl takes his hand. They keep going.

-

Finally, they make it to the nether fortress, which is intimidating in all its burgundy glory. From the moment they step foot inside, Sapnap is on high alert.

He listens for blazes, which are hard to find in this maze. They creep around the nether rack, keeping their backs pressed against the rough surface. He’s got his axe at the ready.

“Maybe we should split up,” Karl whispers to him. “At this rate, we’ll never find them. There are too many directions to choose from.”

He immediately goes to refute the idea, because he knows it's dangerous here, and leaving Karl to fend for himself sends a sick feeling to the pit of his stomach. He doesn’t think he could stand seeing Karl hurt, losing him. Losing him would be the worst type of pain.

But the more he thinks about it, the more logical it seems. The nether fortress is huge and finding the main spawner room could take them days, which would be a waste of resources and time. He takes a deep breath, “Okay. You don’t have a weapon, though.”

“You have a spare sword,” Karl informs. Sapnap furrows his eyebrows, drops his bag, and sure enough, a wood sword is somewhere near the bottom. George must've snuck it in there for him, just in case. He’s glad for it.

He hands Karl the sword. His hands shake a bit, “Don't go too far.”

“I won't.”

“And if something feels wrong or you hear something, turn back and find me.”

Karl smiles softly, “Understood, Sapnap.”

He can't fight the urge to hug the boy, so he pulls Karl into his arms quickly. He lets go just as fast, but he savors the second they spend pressed together. He continues to grip Karl’s shoulders, looks him in the eye, “Stay safe.”

“You too,” Karl says.

He watches the boy walk in the opposite direction, and when he’s out of sight, Sapnap continues down the long, brick hallway. It’s dark, the only light source coming from the lava that pops below him. He hears the sound of bones, clatter in the distance. No amount of training with Dream could've prepared him for this. It’s all so intense, hits him all at once.

He’s lost track of where he is, how far away he must be from Karl. He reevaluates his choice of letting the boy separate from him. He misses him, and he has no way of knowing if he’s hurt or not. He repeats a mantra in his head, a shield to block his incoming worries: _He’s safe, trust him. He’s safe, trust him._

He makes a right, then a left, and then another left, and that’s when he smells it. Fire, crisp and strong, is nearby, and that can only mean one thing. He contemplates going back, finding Karl so that he has some form of backup, but he realizes that he has no idea which way he came from. He has no choice. He holds his shield closer to his chest, grips the handle of his axe, and turns the corner.

He immediately has to cover his eyes. It’s bright, yellow light comes off the monsters and it's so strong that it temporarily blinds him. He hears them fire, and he runs back against the wall. He takes a deep breath; This is gonna be way harder than he thought.

He knows the blazes have a cooldown period, so he runs back out. There are two, floating above him. He hacks one down with his axe, hits it three times before it dissolves into nothingness, and then he does the same to the other. They don’t drop any rods and he huffs.

He hears one behind him and he runs up the stairs of the fortress, closer to the spawner in the center of the enclosed space. He doesn’t favor his positioning at the moment. He has no way to exit unless he breaks the spawner, and his pickaxe is hidden away in his stuff. He won't be able to pull it fast enough.

The new blaze fires and he rolls out of the way, lands hard on the brick. He winces, but he gets back up and runs toward it, swings his axe. He misses, and of course, two more appear in the room with him at that exact moment. He’s surrounded.

He starts to take hits from every direction. Their cooldown periods aren't in sync, so the moment he cuts one down another starts to aim at him. He’s on a streak, though, and he has all the blaze rods he needs after he kills about ten of them. He hasn’t been injured yet besides a few bruises and cuts, which are minor. He can still do this.

He turns to put the rods in his bag, and in his distraction, fire hits him in the arm. He screams out, jumps back. He hadn't realized there was another one, and his axe is on the floor beside him. He quickly bends down to get it and heat spreads down his arm. It hurts like hell. He needs to get out of here, fast.

He swirls around to get back to the stairs, but he sees another one at the bottom. He knows his arm is burnt, bleeding, and it stings, but he keeps running. The blaze behind him shoots and he jumps to dodge it, but instead, he trips, which causes him to tumble down the stairs, his axe and shield flying out of his grip as his head hits brick.

He’s disoriented, but he can still see the two blazes creeping closer to him, feels the heat radiating off of them. He tries to grab for his axe, but he’s just out of reach. His head feels like it's going to explode, and he closes his eyes. It’s the end. He’s gonna die in the middle of the nether fortress alone. His worst fears are coming true.

He hears a scream, a battle cry, and his eyes flutter open. He registers the noise as Karl, and he can see the boy hacking at the monsters with his sword. Sapnap wants to call out to him, wants to tell him how proud he is, but his voice won't work. His vision goes blurry again, and all at once, he’s diving into darkness.

-

When he opens his eyes, he’s surrounded by red.

He’s laying down and he lifts his head, but his head throbs. His arm is being held, so he looks to the right. Karl is sitting next to him, wrapping his arm with a white bandage. His hair clings to his forehead and he has a small cut on his cheek, but otherwise, he looks entirely unharmed. Knowing that makes Sapnap feel so much better.

“Karl,” he croaks out. Karl's eyes snap to his. “You saved me.”

Karl ties off the bandage and picks up the water bottle. He holds Sapnap’s chin in one hand as he tips the water into Sapnap’s mouth. It feels nice.

He ends up choking a bit and Karl pulls away, “Sorry!”

“It’s...It’s okay,” Sapnap says, catching his breath. He repeats, in awe, “You saved me.”

“I did,” Karl replies.

Sapnap reaches up, cups his cheek with a shaky hand. He runs a thumb over the cut, but Karl doesn’t wince. “Who are you?”

Karl giggles, leans into his palm, “Yours.”

Sapnap releases the breath he didn’t know he was holding. Hearing those words, those sweet words that only exist in his dreams, fills him with happiness. Oh, how he wants that, more than anything.

“How did you do it?” Sapnap asks, still breathless. He drops his hand. “How did you even get me here without the piglins seeing? We don’t have any gold.”

Karl shrugs, “M’not sure, honestly. They didn’t notice.”

Sapnap hums. He slowly pulls his arm from where it rests in Karl’s lap and sits up, the other helping him to a more seated position. His stomach growls and he reaches into their bag, grabs a golden apple, and takes a big bite. He instantly feels better, more energized.

Karl watches as he finishes the apple, throws the core off the nether rack and into the lava below. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He rolls the shoulder of his injured arm, testing out his mobility, and he hisses. It’s gonna take some time to heal. Karl frowns, “I’m sorry you got hurt.”

Sapnap sighs and he reaches out, grabs Karl’s hand, “Karl, I’d be dead right now if not for you.”

Karl looks down at their hands, “I...I thought you were dead, at first. I thought I had...”

Sapnap can see tears well up in his eyes and he cups the boy's cheek again with his free hand. A single tear falls, drips down his cheek, and Sapnap brushes it away with his thumb. He whispers, “You saved me. You’re my saving grace.”

They’re leaning in, faces closer and closer together. Karl’s eyes are glossy, his cheeks are flushed from exhaustion, and he glows more than all the glowstone on the ceiling here. He can feel Karl’s breath fanning his face. He looks down at the boy’s lips. The desire to kiss him is so overwhelmingly strong, and he’s so close. He smells like vanilla.

“You really think so?” Karl asks softly.

“I do,” Sapnap answers. He caresses Karl’s cheek with the tips of his fingers, so light that it’s phantom. “I wouldn’t be here without you. I’d be nothing without you.”

“Sapnap,” Karl exhales. His hands hold Sapnap’s forearm tightly, and its grounding, because Sapnap truly feels like he’s floating.

“Karl.”

A screech in the distance startles them, makes the pull apart. So close. Sapnap hates the nether.

Karl giggles awkwardly, rubs his nose as Sapnap grabs their bag again, swinging it over his uninjured arm, “We should get out of here.”

Karl grabs his shield and nods, “Let’s go.”

They move onward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading !! we're halfway there !


	3. Risk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing action scenes is a pain in my ass

They make it out of the nether without incident.

Sapnap wants to kiss the sand they stand on when they return to the overworld. God, he missed the Earth so much. He never wants to reenter the nether again.

“Which way?” He thinks aloud, biting his lip. He taps his chin, looks both directions, but he can only see the desert for miles.

“Right,” Karl answers.

Sapnap looks at him, confused, “What?”

“We should go right,” Karl repeats, practically.

Sapnap looks to the right. He can't see anything. “How do you do that?”

Karl shrugs, starts to walk, “You coming?”

There turns out to be a dark forest to the east, which has its pros and cons. They can get more food and water here, but there isn't any light coming through the trees, the leaves are dense and intertwined, which means there will be more monsters around them. Sapnap has no idea how Karl knows where he’s going, it’s like a natural instinct or something, but he’s not arguing. The boy hasn’t steered them wrong yet.

They’re sitting against a tree, eating some of the mushroom stew that Karl made when Sapnap sees it. It’s far away, hardly visible between the thickness of the trees, but there’s torchlight in the distance. Sapnap knows what that is.

Woodland mansions are extremely rare, one in a million, Dream told him once. They’re large, extremely hostile, and the only place where evokers can be found. Sapnap knows what evokers carry, and he can use that to his advantage if he formulates a strategic plan to get inside.

“What are you looking at?” Karl asks. His wooden bowl is empty, sitting on his lap.

Sapnap leans closer to him and points, “See that light?”

Karl nods, “Yeah.”

“That’s a Woodland mansion,” Sapnap explains. He sets his bowl on the grass beside him and crosses his legs. “There’s a lot of special things in there.”

“Like what?”

“Like a totem of undying,” Sapnap smirks.

Karl’s eyebrows scrunch, “A what?”

“It’s an object you can use if you're about to die,” Sapnap says. He runs a hand through his hair, pushes it out of his face. “It would be really useful...”

“But it’s dangerous, right?” Karl finishes for him with a small smile. Sapnap nods, looks at him carefully. “You’ve got a plan, don’t you?”

“Yep,” Sapnap smiles. “You wanna do it?”

Karl smiles back, gives him a thumbs-up, “Let’s do it.”

They plan.

-

Sapnap decides that if they are gonna raid a belligerent mansion in the middle of the night, he needs to teach Karl how to fight.

The boy did an impressive job in the nether fortress, although he was out for most of it. Sapnap wants to give him some tips, train him a bit, just so they have a better chance of survival. He knows Karl can learn quickly.

He crafts Karl a stone sword, sharpens it to perfection before handing it to the other. Karl looks at it with wide eyes, “Is this mine?”

“Yeah,” Sapnap chuckles softly. He points to a more open area between the trees. “Go over there. We’re gonna spar.”

“S-Spar?” Karl sputters.

Sapnap nods, “Karl, you took down two blazes the other day, and you’re nervous to fight me? You’re being silly.”

“Yeah, but I had _adrenaline_ then,” Karl whines softly. He’s holding his sword in the wrong position and Sapnap cringes internally. The boy looks at him with the softest eyes, “I don’t wanna fight you. I don’t wanna hurt you if I make a mistake.”

Sapnap leans forward, ruffles Karl’s hair, “You won't, I promise. I’ve been training all my life. I’ll be fine, and so will you.”

Karl whines again but complies, walking backward a bit. Sapnap grabs George’s sword off the ground and follows, “Okay, first you want to hold the weapon correctly, so put your right hand over your left. Wait, are you right-handed?”

“Ambidextrous,” Karl hums as he does what he’s told. Sapnap’s eyebrows raise. "Now what?”

“Uhm, widen your stance a bit,” Sapnap suggests. Karl does it. “Good. Let's see what you’ve got then, shall we?”

He takes a deep breath before charging at Karl, who smoothly moves out of the way. Their swords clash once, twice, and then Sapnap ducks Karl’s third attempt at a hit, backing up a few steps before going in again. Karl is unbelievably strong, undeniably good. He could probably beat George at this rate, which is saying something. Sapnap tries not to gawk at his skill, at the way his hair falls in front of his face, and his tongue peaks between plump lips when he’s focusing. Sapnap is out of breath, and Karl is too, but they keep at it.

Sapnap has lost track of time. Fighting with Karl is like the most dangerous waltz, one that Sapnap could dance in forever. Finally, Karl’s footing gets the best of him, and Sapnap takes the opportunity to hook his leg behind Karl’s, tripping the other. Karl, however, grabs Sapnap by the arm, and they both end up in the grass, tangled in one another. Sapnap is panting, “You okay?”

Karl nods, breathing hard, “You beat me.”

“You put up a hell of a fight,” Sapnap says, looking down at the other. He can see the perspiration that pools on Karl’s pale skin, the light that breaks through the trees illuminates his face. “Fuck, Karl, you’re actually insane.”

“I am?” Karl looks genuinely confused.

“Yes! Where did you learn how to fight like that?” Sapnap exclaims between laughs. He peels himself off Karl and sits beside him in the dirt.

Karl looks up at him, takes a second before responding, “I don't know, honestly. I guess that’s a good thing though, right?”

“Yes, it's an amazing thing!” Sapnap says. He puts a hand on Karl’s arm. It’s soft. “We can actually do this.”

Karl smiles. He sits up. The bangs that cling to his forehead frame his face nicely, the dark color brings out the bright in his eyes. Sapnap is mesmerized.

He giggles, “We can do this.”

“We can!” Sapnap nods in agreement, laughing. He’s been out in the wilderness for weeks, hasn’t slept in a real bed, or had a true homecooked meal in forever, but he doesn’t think he’s been happier. Karl makes him happy. He never wants to lose this feeling.

The sun is starting to set, the sky glows a vibrant orange. Sapnap pulls himself to his feet, dusts off his hands. He holds one out to Karl, “You ready to do this?”

Karl grins and takes his hand.

-

The plan is simple.

Karl is to loot the chests while Sapnap distracts. It seems like a bad idea to split up again, especially after the last time they did, but mansions are huge, and if Sapnap can find the evoker, it’ll give Karl more of a chance to get more supplies.

Sapnap’s first impression of the mansion is that it’s beautiful. The building is a creation of dark oak. There are many staircases and hallways, a huge puzzle, and all the rooms are decorated elegantly. He passes a small dining room and a library before slowly creeping up the stairs. His axe is at his side.

He can hear mobs all around and his heart rate picks up. He knows the evoker is close, and as he checks every door, slowly peaking inside, he thinks of Dream. The blond would tell him to be light on his feet and to always have an escape plan. He wishes he had his team with him, for this would be much easier if the three of them were working together. They ease his nerves.

He hears a voice coming from behind a door and he freezes. He takes a moment to collect himself. He can't die here, he can't. He must live so that he can make it back home and be with Karl and his friends. He can do this.

He pushes open the door, and the evoker looks at him. It’s smirking, grey skin and black cloak intimidating, “Hello. Come to die?”

“No,” Sapnap says. His voice wavers and he curses himself. “You have something that I need.”

“Do I?’ It speaks, seemingly unfazed. It walks closer to Sapnap, and he puts his axe and shield up. “You’ll have to kill me to get it.”

“Good thing that’s exactly what I was planning,” Sapnap smirks, and then the evoker leaps at him.

Sapnap knows from tales and books that he needs to kill this thing before it spawns vexes, because it would be extremely bad for him if he had to take on those things also. The evoker throws a wave of magic at him and he blocks it with his shield. He lunges with his axe, but the thing is slippery and seems to know his every move. The magic that swirls around them is disorienting, makes Sapnap feel a bit ill. Evokers are powerful, and Sapnap has to stay strong.

Sapnap lures it out of the small room and into the hallway so he has more room to fight. Another wave comes at him and he kneels to dodge it, scrapes his knee on the hard flooring. He winces but gets back up, running towards to creature. He gets a good two hits on it before he’s thrown backward, sliding across the floor and hitting his head. He needs a better helmet.

“You really think you can beat me?” The evoker laughs, raises its hands slightly. Sapnap pulls himself up, panting. “You should’ve never come alone.”

Sapnap sees a slight movement behind the creature and he smiles. He looks it in its white eyes, “I'm not alone.”

A sword goes straight through the evoker and it screams, falling to the floor. Sapnap watches Karl pull his sword out of it, his face serious and fire in his eyes. Karl looks incredible like this, when he’s confident and aggressive. Sapnap has never been more attracted to a person in his life.

Karl drops his sword and rushes over to Sapnap on the floor. His hands immediately cup Sapnap’s face, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Sapnap says, holding his wrists. “That was potentially the shortest fight I’ve had in my life.”

Karl giggles, runs one of his hands through Sapnap’s hair, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you are too,” Sapnap breathes. Karl’s cheeks are flushed, freckles pronounced. Sapnap’s eyes can't help but fall to his lips. “Karl...”

“Yeah, Sapnap?”

Sapnap brings a hand to the back of Karl’s neck and pulls him forward. Finally, their lips are touching. Sapnap is finally kissing Karl, and it feels like heaven.

It’s soft and light, tentative in a way Sapnap has never felt before. Karl’s hands ghost along his face and Sapnap weaves his finger’s in the other’s hair as they melt into one another. So many feelings bubble up in him at once, and Sapnap feels like he’s drowning. His brain has one thought: Karl, Karl, Karl. He presses in further, not wanting the moment to end. This kiss is perfect magic, so right that a part of him feels like it can’t be real.

Karl is the first to pull away. He rests his forehead against Sapnap’s, smiles softly, “That was nice.”

“It was,” Sapnap laughs. He has the urge to do it again, to kiss him a thousand times more. He goes to drag him in again when a screech echoes through the hall. _Why does something always have to interrupt?_

Karl climbs off of him quickly and they both stand. The evoker is gone, a gold object laying on the floor in its place, but small blue monsters are flying toward them at full speed. Sapnap’s eyes widen and he grabs Karl’s hand, “We gotta get out of here, now!”

“What are those?” Karl asks. Sapnap bends down and grabs the totem and Karl’s sword.

“Vexes,” He replies. He starts to drag Karl to the end of the hall. “Keep your head down and run.”

Karl nods, and they take off.

-

Sapnap is in love. He’s sure of it.

He sits on the edge of a bed, watching Karl grind blaze rods into powder. He likes the way Karl is biting his lip in concentration, how the sleeves of the shirt he stole from Sapnap cover his hands. Every once in a while, he looks up at Sapnap and smiles. They’re in love.

They’re staying in a village for the night. Tomorrow, they start their journey to the stronghold, which will take a long time and a lot of energy. Karl found a lot of emeralds in the mansion and they used them to trade for ender pearls. Sapnap is thankful for that because killing endermen is a pain.

“Why are you staring at me?” Karl asks, breaking his train of thought.

Sapnap clears his throat, “Because you’re beautiful.”

Karl breaks their eye contact, looks at the floor. Sapnap can tell he’s beaming. “Sapnap.”

“It’s the truth!” Sapnap chuckles softly. Karl’s hand comes up to his mouth in a yawn, and Sapnap hums, “Come up here. You’re tired.”

Karl yawns again and stands. He walks over to the bed and plops down on it, instantly curling into Sapnap’s side. Sapnap wraps an arm around his waist, rubs up his side slowly, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Karl replies quickly. He nuzzles himself into Sapnap’s shoulder. “I’m just worried for you, I guess.”

Sapnap looks down at him, “Me?”

Karl nods and looks up, “I... I wanna keep you safe. And that’s easy here because you know what you're doing and what this place looks like, but The End is... The End is different. It’s limitless.”

“Karl,” Sapnap says softly. His thumb digs into Karl’s hip. “You know it’s not your job to protect me, right? We’re a team, and we’ll work together just like we have been. We go in together and we leave together. There’s _no_ other option.”

Karl’s eyes are glossy. Sapnap’s free hand comes up to his face, brushes those freckles with soft fingers. A tear falls and he wipes it away. He leans in slightly, whispers, “Close your eyes, Karl.”

Blue eyes flutter shut, and Sapnap slowly tips forward. He kisses each one of Karl’s eyes, then his nose, and finally his lips. Karl giggles softly when he pulls away, “What was that?”

“Angel kisses,” Sapnap grins, caresses his cheek again.

Karl wraps his arms around Sapnap’s middle, pulls him a bit closer. They look intertwined. Sapnap likes it, never wants them to unravel. The boy murmurs, “I wanna give you some too.”

Sapnap laughs and ducks his head a bit, closing his eyes. He feels pressure, so soft that he may have made it up. Karl switches from one eye to the other before tilting back, “You can open now.”

He opens his eyes to Karl, who is giving him the fondest look. His skin glistens in the light, the moon reflects on his eyes. He really is the most beautiful thing.

Sapnap hums, rests his head on the others, “I love you.”

He feels Karl relax against him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter pog !!!


	4. Onward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone,
> 
> before you read this chapter, i would recommend going back and rereading this book in its entirety, or after you finish reading this to go back and read it again. this was intended to be a oneshot, but i decided to spilt it up to make it a bit easier to read. there are a lot of small details that will make the ending make more sense sprinkled throughout the book. 
> 
> thank you for reading, and i hope you enjoy !

The eye they throw leads them to water.

Sapnap spends hours showing Karl the mechanics of combining fine powder and traded eyes. It gets a bit messy; gold flakes end up all over their clothes and in their hair. There’s a patch of it on Karl’s cheek, blends with his skin nicely, and Sapnap brushes it away with his thumb. _Delicate._

Smashing them together creates a glowing eye, so green Dream would envy it. They light up the room, purple swirls emit from them. It’s hypnotizing, and if it weren't for Karl’s hand in his own, Sapnap thinks he could get lost in them.

They take a boat from the dock at the village, pack all their stuff into it. They grab extra food, trade the last of their emeralds for a bow and arrows. Sapnap knows he won't need them after this; There’s only one way out of The End.

It’s midday when they finally set sail. The boat is small, oak, and more than likely made for one person, but they make it work. Sapnap takes the oars and Karl sits across from him, and they start their journey to its close.

“Sap?” Karl’s voice rings out past the wild ocean.

Sapnap hums, “Yeah?”

“The ocean is really blue,” Karl says. He reaches down, over the boat, and puts a hand in the water. Sapnap watches him with adoring eyes. Blue eyes meet his once more, “It’s cold!”

Sapnap laughs, “I’m glad. We’ve spent a lot of time in the heat.”

“We should go swimming,” Karl pulls his hand from the water. He leans forward, wipes it off on Sapnap’s pants, which earns him a scowl. “Can you swim? I haven't in a long time.”

“Yes, I can swim,” Sapnap shakes his head, amused.

“Are you good?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

Sapnap stops the boat, eyebrows raised, “Karl, why are you asking me so many questions about swimming?”

Karl is biting his lips, hands fidgeting in his lap, “S-Sorry. I’m jittery right now, I guess.”

Sapnap gets it, he really does. He’s nervous too, but there’s a bit of excitement underneath. Seeing the End is a rare achievement, one that no one has come back from. He doesn’t know what to expect, and maybe the mystery of it all is what draws Sapnap near, pushes him closer.

Sapnap leans forward a bit, their knees pressed together. He grabs the other’s hands, kisses Karl softly, whispers against his lips, “I’m a fantastic swimmer, Karl. I learned when I was young.”

“Really?” Karl asks, wide-eyed. They may be surrounded by water, but Karl’s eyes are the most brilliant blue for miles.

“There’s a lake by my house,” Sapnap says, brushes their noses together. “The water is the perfect temperature, too, and little fish swim around in there. I’ll take you whenever you want.”

Karl smiles and kisses him again.

-

The sun sets over them nicely. The warm hues make Karl glow, the palette of oranges and purples wash over his skin. He looks like a painting, renaissance in all his glory.

The stars shine above them. Sapnap’s arms are sore and he’s exhausted, but he doesn’t want Karl to have to row. He’d much rather do it himself, if only to have Karl sitting in front of him. It’s the perfect view, the kind that allure artists to paint murals, to hang up on gallery walls and worship.

Karl reaches out and grabs his arm, “You’re tired.”

“No,” Sapnap replies, but his body betrays him. He yawns softly, looks at Karl sheepishly, “Maybe a little.”

“Let’s switch,” Karl says.

Sapnap shakes his head, “No, it’s fine. I can manage-”

“No, you can't,” Karl raises his eyebrows. Sapnap watches him stand, sway a bit with the water. Sapnap lets go of the oars and grabs his arms to steady him. A flush erupts on the other’s face, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Sapnap hums as Karl sits next to him.

Karl kisses the side of his head, speaks softly, “Go lay down, Sap. Let me take over for the night.”

And Sapnap wants to argue, wants to tell him to go back and get some sleep, but the look in Karl’s eye is firm. He huffs, pushes off of the wood to the other side of the boat, where he takes Karl’s previous seat and lays down. It’s a bit uncomfortable, the way his head rests on rough oak and the boat tilts every few moments. He takes a deep breath, tucks his arms under his head.

He watches Karl grab the oars and begin to push forward. His nose scrunches cutely in concentration, his shoulders pass by his ears with every stroke. They seem to move smoothly, and Sapnap starts to relax a bit more. The tension leaves his body, oozes out of him and into the unknown as his eyelids begin to droop.

“Told you,” Karl says, a small grin on his face.

Sapnap rolls his eyes, tucks his knees closer to his chest. He’s too tall for this position, but he can’t complain, “You have a talent for being right.”

“Mhm,” Karl hums in agreement. “Look up.”

Sapnap does as he’s told. The stars surround them, curve around them. He looks back, mumbles, “Pretty.”

“Do you think that’s where people go?” Karl asks softly. Sapnap gives him a confused look, and he clears his throat, “When they die, I mean. Do you think they join the stars?”

“Why are you...” Sapnap stops himself. _Jitters._ “I... I haven't given that much thought if I’m being honest. I always liked the idea that when you die, you become what people remembered you as. So, if you're bad, you become a nasty zombie, and if you're good, you become-”

“A butterfly,” Karl finishes for him.

Their eyes meet, “Yeah. A butterfly.”

“I like that,” Karl says thoughtfully, looking to the sky. At this angle, Sapnap gets the perfect view of his angular jawline, the slope that transcends down his neck and to his collarbones. “I still think you’d end up there, though.”

“With the stars?”

Karl nods, looks back at him. Even in the dark, Sapnap can make out the pristine blue, the elegant shine. “You’ll be the brightest one. And somewhere, far away, you’ll be giving light to a new planet as it orbits around you. You’re a protector, a heat source. That’s what you’ll be remembered as.”

Sapnap feels his eyes watering, “K-Karl-”

“And people will worship you. There will be gods named after you, and people will sit in sand during the early mornings and late afternoons to watch you rise and fall,” Karl continues, and Sapnap wants to cry. He has never felt this much love, truly. His heart swells and flutters and beats only for the boy in front of him, who so openly and profoundly cares about him that it’s earthshattering. Sapnap knows he’ll never feel this way again, he’ll never love someone this much or this quickly. He doesn’t want to, he wants to spend the rest of his life here, on this boat with Karl, staring at the beautiful boy who stares at the stars. “Sapnap, are you okay? I think you zoned out on me.”

“I really wanna kiss you right now,” Sapnap sighs. “I don’t think I can get up, though.”

Karl giggles, “You can give me one later, then. Close your eyes and sleep. We still have a long way to go.”

“M’kay,” Sapnap manages to say. His eyes flutter. “Goodnight, Karl.”

“Goodnight,” He hears in return, echoes into the night.

He shuts his eyes. He swears he feels pressure on both.

-

Days later, they arrive at an island.

It’s big, covered in ice and snow. It reminds Sapnap of the tundra he started in weeks ago, only this is much more violent. The wind howls loudly, but nothing moves around them, like time is frozen and encapsulated in this very biome. He throws one of the eyes; It shoots straight up and falls back down the same.

They get out of the boat and take all their stuff with them. He turns to look at the ocean one more time, with its warmth and life. He hopes he’ll see it again someday.

Karl interlocks their arms as they huddle together, walking through the cold. Sapnap is on high alert for any movement, any sign of the stronghold, but he sees nothing. He knows it’s close, the eye told him so, but it’s not in plain sight. It’s hiding, waiting to be found by the strongest of men, and Sapnap is here to prove that he’s one of them.

He stops, the ice squeaking below his feet, “I think we should find a better area.”

Karl looks to him, his face hardly visible through the blizzard, “Wh-Where? We’re on ice?”

He looks around until he spots a patch of trees in the distance, and then he points, “There. Let’s make it over there.”

They trek together. It’s a slow process; They both keep slipping, pulling each other like magnets. Sapnap feels his strength waning, but he’s so close. He can’t back down now.

They make it to the snow-covered grass, and that’s when Sapnap sees it. A cave, dark and hollow, stands proud between thick branches. He can barely make out the light that flickers from inside, but his stomach rolls. He nudges Karl, “There it is.”

Karl gulps, holds his arm a little tighter, “D-Do we go in?”

“Yeah. Get out your sword,” Sapnap instructs, pulling out his axe. He looks to Karl carefully, their faces close together, “We find the portal room as fast as we can, okay? We don’t stop, we stick together.”

The stronghold is dimly lit when they enter, smells like acid and rotting flesh. Sapnap can hear the rattle of bones and the groans of zombies echoing through the halls. It’s a maze, one of huge proportions, and they slowly walk down the main stairs together, Sapnap a little in front of Karl. He has no clue where to go, which direction to take, but Karl naturally falls to the left, so he takes that as a hint and heads that way.

They try to stay as close to the walls as possible, but it’s hard. There are monsters around them constantly, and Sapnap wants to avoid confrontation to save their energy. He cuts through a few skeletons as they travel lower and lower through the ancient building, looking for the portal.

Sapnap stops in the middle of a room, puts his arm over Karl’s chest protectively, “Listen.”

“For what?” Karl whispers back, looks up at him.

A squeak rings out from somewhere around them and Sapnap hums, “That. Silverfish.”

Another squeak. Sapnap takes a breath and grabs Karl’s hand in his own. His palms are damp, radiating heat, but he can't bring himself to care. Their fingers are clasped, and Sapnap squeezes.

Together, they turn the corner. There, in a small room, are twelve frames, neatly circled on the floor. Karl kills one of the silverfish wriggling around on the floor, and Sapnap blocks off the entrance as best as he can. He sets his bag down and grabs the eyes, starts placing them in each frame. Before he sets the last one in, he turns to Karl, “Are you ready?”

“No,” Karl answers. “We didn’t get enough time.”

Sapnap puts the eye on the floor and steps closer to Karl, cups his face, “We’re gonna have all the time in the world when this is over. We’ll be with each other, always.”

Karl tilts his head, puts his weight in Sapnap’s hand, “Okay. Always.”

Sapnap leans forward and kisses him. The kiss is passion, heat, all the words Sapnap can't bring himself to say if this is truly the end. It’s a representation of his gratitude, of the euphoria Karl gives him. It’s a goodbye, a hello, a good luck.

Karl pulls away, hands resting on Sapnap’s chest, “I’m ready.”

Sapnap grabs the eye, puts it in, and together, they jump.

-

It goes well at first.

The end is like nothing Sapnap has ever seen before. The sand beneath his feet is thick, heavy, and he kicks up dense dust with every step he takes. There are large, obsidian pillars, arranged in a ring, each with a crystal sitting atop. Enderman surround them. The dragon flies high, its wings large and its body covered in inky scales.

Sapnap starts by aiming with his bow, shooting down end crystals with god-like precision. Karl protects him, shields him from the enderman that he accidentally makes eye contact with. They work together fluidly, as always.

When Sapnap knocks out the last crystal, the dragon swoops down and shoots a fireball at them. Sapnap grabs Karl by the waist and throws them both out of the way. Sand gets in his hair, on his clothes, and he brushes off. He looks at Karl, who seems a bit paler, "You okay?”

Karl nods, and Sapnap pulls him to his feet, “M’Fine. Let’s do this.”

Sapnap’s luck, however, runs out quickly.

The dragon is aggressive, doesn’t let up on them. Sapnap fires arrow after arrow, but they all miss, the dragon weaving around them. The two of them get separated, Karl cutting down the monsters around them while Sapnap focuses all his attention on killing the dragon, and that proves futile. The dragon spots Karl and a huge fireball shoots in his direction. Sapnap screams, tries to warn him to move out of the way, runs toward him, but he doesn’t make it in time, and Karl goes flying through the air. He lands heavy, his body slams against the hard sand, and Sapnap’s heart drops.

Sapnap rushes to him, sets his bag on the ground, and kneels next to Karl. The boy feels cold. He’s unresponsive when Sapnap shakes him, but he can't find any blood, “Karl! Karl, please. You have to get up Karl, please!”

_No response._

Sapnap digs through the bag as fast as possible. He can hear the dragon roar from behind him, but he doesn’t have time to turn around. He finds the totem, puts it in Karl’s hand and holds it close to his body, “C’mon, c’mon! Please! I need you, please work!”

Nothing happens, the totem doesn’t light, and Karl’s eyes remain shut. His face looks almost white, his lips are blue, and Sapnap knows he’s crying. Karl can’t leave him. He should’ve been paying more attention, should've protected him.

The dragon roars again and Sapnap turns. It’s coming straight for them, mouth wide open. Sapnap looks to Karl one more time before grabbing his bow and an arrow. He’s still holding the totem when he aims right for the dragon’s mouth. A fireball comes right toward him. He lets his arrow go.

He shuts his eyes.

-

He wakes up in a field.

It’s warm and he’s surrounded by flowers. He recognizes this place. It’s near the forest where he met Karl.

Tears well in his eyes. He has nothing, no materials, no weapons, and no Karl. The only thing that remains is his compass, which sits in the middle of his chest where George put it so long ago. He doesn’t know how he got here, but he assumes the dragon is dead. The End probably erupted, sent him back here, without Karl. He inhales slowly, stands. He’s not injured, the burns on his arm have disappeared.

He sees the forest, so he heads to it. He picks some berries, gets some wood. His mind is empty. He feels numb.

He did it, but at what cost? The love of his life is gone, and even though he understands, it still hurts. He follows the red needle as it leads him back to the beginning, back to the tundra where he started.

It’s a lonely trip back. He misses Karl’s laugh, the blue of his eyes, the scent of vanilla. His hand feels empty, his lips are cold. He should be here with him, bringing home to his friends, starting a new life. A part of him knows that Karl will always be here with him. A part of him knows Karl is watching.

It takes him a day, and by the time he reaches the village he lives in, the sun is setting over him. He spots the pond with the fish, near his house. There’s an open area next to it; He’s going to start a farm.

“Sapnap!” A voice rings out, pulls him from his haze. His eyes snap up and meet brown and green. George runs to him, Dream close behind. He’s engulfed in a huge hug from both, and George cries into his chest, “Oh my god, you’re back.”

Sapnap manages to smile, “Hi guys.”

Dream pulls away first, ruffles his hair softly, “We missed you so much. It’s been months.”

“Yeah,” Sapnap replies weakly, “It has.”

George squeezes his shoulder, beaming, “You did it! You actually did it!”

“I did, yes.”

“How?” George inquires with wide eyes. “How did you survive out there alone for so long?”

He smiles a little wider, looks at his friends, “I wasn’t alone.”

Dream gives him a confused look, looks around, “What do you mean?”

“I had a friend,” Sapnap says. The word friend doesn’t begin to describe.

“Where are they?”

Sapnap exhales, trying not to be sad, “They...They had to go.”

“Oh,” George replies before turning, beckoning with his hand. “C’mon, Sap. I know you’re hungry and tired. I’ll make you whatever dish you want.”

Dream walks back to the house first, George rushing over to catch up to him. Sapnap is glad to be home, glad to see them again. Karl would’ve loved it here, he’s sure of it. He rolls his shoulders back, puts on a brave face, and follows.

A butterfly lands on his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, this is the end of butterflies ! thank you so much for reading !!
> 
> the subject matter is a little heavy and may be hard to understand, so if you want to me to answer any questions or clear anything up, you can in the comments... or on my twitter or tumblr !!
> 
> i love you !! thank you again for reading !!
> 
> twitter- @jilchamp  
> tumblr- @jiliwastaken


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